


Going out with a *Drum Crash*

by Sleepless_in_Starbucks



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Food mentions, Graffiti, High School AU, Human AU, I don't really focus on the band part, M/M, Rebellion, Swearing, band au, brotherly prinxiety - Freeform, mischievous Patton, mostly off-topic fluff, nonbinary remy, only teen for swearing, techincally, they're twins I just don't mention it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 11:42:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19440766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleepless_in_Starbucks/pseuds/Sleepless_in_Starbucks
Summary: It's a bad title, I know, don't @ meBand AU (ish) based off the ideas of what instruments each side would have. Except I get way off topic and mostly write fluff and rebellion.





	Going out with a *Drum Crash*

Patton bustled through the busy school hallway, shooting off quick “excuse me!”’s and “so sorry!”’s as he slipped through the crowds. He pressed his binder closer to his chest, wanting to make sure the flyer wouldn’t slip away in the whirl of action around him.

Of course, Patton didn’t really need to hurry. Roman always waited to walk home with him. But he was so excited! He had to get there as fast as humanly possible!

So fast, Patton ended up barreling into Roman after he turned to throw an apology to someone else over his shoulder. Roman, recognizing the overly eager man in his bright blue ‘Pun Loading’ shirt, caught him with ease.

“You alright, _mi sol?_ ” Roman asked, steadying Patton while wearing a blindingly bright smile. “Any particular reason you’re running into princes?”

“Don’t you mean _dashing_ into _a_ prince?” Patton returned with a giggle. “Because you’re the only prince I _see-nderella_!”

Roman pressed a kiss to Patton’s lips. “Never change, Pat, never change. Now, are you going to tell me what’s got you so excited, or do I have to guess?”

Patton beamed and grabbed the flyer, waving it excited in Roman’s face. “It’s the talent show!”

Roman’s brow furrowed in confusion, though his smile didn’t falter. “I know, _mi corazón_. They host it every year.”

“Yeah, but this is the first year I can actually play a song on the ukulele!” Patton explained cheerfully. “And it’s our senior year, so we have to do it! Before we can’t!”

“We?” Roman repeated.

“I thought you could play your drums!” Patton said. “We could _bongo_ over practicing!”

“Are we not already close enough?” Roman asked while taking the flyer from Patton to look at.

“We can always be closer!” Patton said, slinging his arms around Roman’s shoulders to loosely hug him as if proving the point. “And I had to make the pun.”

Roman chuckled. “I thought that might have been the reason.”

“I’ve had it thought up since I saw the poster!” Patton protested lightly. “I had to share it!”

“You like to share everything.”

“I do! Sharing is caring!” Patton said. “Which is why I want to share my idea, too!”

“And what do you mean by that, _mi azucarero_?” Roman inquired, handing the poster back to him.

“I want other people to do it with us!” Patton responded, crumpling the flyer as he pushed it inside his school binder, covered in smiley face stickers. “Like a band!”

“Only you would see a band as an opportunity to share.”

Patton shrugged while still grinning. “Will you help me find bandmates?”

“Anything for you, _estrella de mi vida._ ” Roman responded, kissing Patton’s forehead before intertwining their fingers and pulling him along. “I know just where to stop first!”

Patton laughed and let himself be yanked away, already knowing where they were headed. Soon enough they were darting through the foyer of Roman’s house, waving at Roman’s Dad, Thomas, from where he was in a stare-off with the oven.

“Dad, are Vee and Lo music-ing right now?”

“Uh, I think so!” Thomas responded, turning away from where he was about to give up and call Dominos. “I think they’re working on a new piece, though, so try not to interrupt them if you need to get your drums out.”  
Roman smirked, an expression Thomas missed due to his slightly older son hurrying towards the only soundproofed room in the house. “I’ll try not to Dad, promise!”

“I doubt that.” Thomas murmured lightheartedly, turning back towards the oven as Patton happily waved at him again.

Roman paused briefly before the ‘music door,’ properly decorated with painted on music notes (courtesy the Prince himself) and currently bearing a messily scrawled sign (courtesy Emo Nightmare) reading ‘Do not disturb’ in angry red letters.

“We should probably wait for them to finish their session.” Patton whispered despite knowing his voice wouldn’t carry past the heavy door.

“Yeah, we _should_ .” Roman agreed with the same smirk from earlier. “But we really need the bandmates _now_ don’t you think?”

Patton nodded as seriously as he could despite the goofy grin on his face. “Oh, totally.”

With that conformation, and a glance back to make sure his Dad wouldn’t see him do it, Roman dramatically threw open the door and exclaimed, “The Prince is here!”

There was a screech as Virgil’s bow missed its mark and pulled against the wrong string, while only a single surprised note came from the piano before Logan was turned around to fume at him.

“Can the Prince not read?” Logan asked, gesturing at the ‘Do not disturb’ sign. “Or does he simply have no courtesy for others?”

“Both.” Virgil answered, placing down his bow while he quickly re-tuned his cello. It probably wasn’t necessary, but Virgil was nothing if not overly careful with his instrument. “It’s what he got for being born first; missed out on some crucial brain cells.”

Roman huffed. “Like _you_ got them, Brendon Worry.”   
Virgil rolled his eyes. “Real clever. Listen, is there a reason outside of just being you that you barged in? I ask this only because Patton’s with you and has yet to become outraged, not because I trust you to have a reason for your annoyingness.”

Patton, throwing his cat backpack by the door, pulled the flyer back out of his binder and handed it to Virgil. “This is why!”

Virgil scanned the page. “The talent show?”

Patton nodded. “Me and Roman are going to do it this year, since it’s our last chance to do so! And we want you to join our band!”

Virgil raised an eyebrow before slightly lifting his cello. “You want, along with your drums and ukulele, a cello and a piano?”

“It is a rather unusual combination.” Logan added, glancing disdainfully at the drum set in the corner.

“I prefer the term ‘unique.’” Roman said, being very obvious as he gave the piano its own disdainful look.

“That term has its own set of negative connotations, arguably worse than unusual given the context, but-” Logan paused for a second, screwing up his face, “go off, I guess?”

Virgil extended out his cello bow to pat Logan’s shoulder. “You’re getting there.”

Logan frowned. “The colloquial language is frustrating and senseless.”

“You’re not wrong.” Virgil conceded. Roman, wandering over to his drum set, slammed the cymbals. Aside from Roman’s, every hand in the room raised to cover ears.

“Really, Princey?!” Virgil asked, hitting the side of his head like it might get the sound out.

“Time out for thee, and time out for thee, don’t focus on issues, focus on me.” Roman half-sang, half-shouted, his own ears slightly ringing. “Especially when your issues are debating slang.”

“Listen, Mr. Prince-of-the-Southern-Isles,” Roman gasped at insult of being called the worst Disney prince, “we’ve got a recital coming up, have no interest in the talent show, and dislike doing things with you. Why would we join your band?”

“Because it’s our last chance!” Patton repeated. “And I think it would be fun!”

Virgil glared at Roman. “I didn’t realize Roman _wasn’t_ going to be a part of this.”

Patton moved to sit on the piano bench next to Logan, grabbing his arm and smiling. “Will you please join our band?”

Logan blinked, expression unchanged.

Patton pouted and turned on his puppy eyes, clutching Logan’s arm slightly tighter. “Pretty please?”

With the same expression, Logan turned from Patton to look at Virgil. “We’re going to join the band.”

Virgil sighed. “You have to learn how to say no to the puppy eyes.”

“You say no to the puppy eyes.” Logan shot back, turning Patton around to face Virgil. Virgil met his eyes for a few seconds before turning away.

“Okay, yeah, we’ll join the stupid band.” Virgil said.

Logan’s smirked smugly. “Virgil, you have to learn how to say no to the puppy eyes.”

“Shut up.”

“No one can resist the puppy eyes of _mi cariño_.” Roman boasted, moving from the drums to dramatically splay himself in Patton’s lap. Logan quickly moved off the bench, taking several steps away from the couple.

“Virgil, promise me one thing.” Logan said, voice tinged with minor disgust. “If we ever end up like that, shoot me.”

“Only if you shoot me too.” Vigil responded.

“Oh, like you two don’t do worse behind closed doors.” Roman countered before going to exchange a flurry of little kisses with Patton. The act of affection distracted from the light blushes that immediately brightened the other two’s cheeks.

Logan subtly cleared his throat before saying, “Whenever you two are ready to desist with your… PDAs, what is our first step towards planning for the talent show?”

“Well, first, we have to get our final member!” Patton said, briefly pulling away from a butterfly kiss with Roman. Virgil and Logan shared a confused glance with each other. Roman also looked puzzled.

“Another member?” Virgil asked. “What, we don’t already count as the dream team?”

“We are the dream team!” Patton assured them. “But I know how to make us even dreamier!”

“It is impossible for us to be dreamy, _sueña entre pesadillas_.” Roman said with a side eye at Virgil and Logan. “They’re just extras.”

Logan frowned. “I believe you insulted not only us with that compliment, but also yourself.”

“All are beneath Patton, even a prince as stunning as I.” Roman responded.

“But Ro!” Patton protested with a smile. “Diamonds are beneath everyone, and they’re some of the most stunning things in the world! Not that they could ever out-stun you!”

“I take it back, Lo, I want to be shot now.” Virgil said. “I’d also take getting to the point of who the final band member is.”

“That’s a secret.” Patton answered. “We just have to go to school extra early tomorrow!”

Both Virgil and Roman groaned. “I would slay mountains for you, Pat, but early mornings?”

“You can’t slay… mountains…” Logan murmured to himself while Virgil said,

“Hate to agree with Drizella, but yeah. Mornings are yucky.”

“It’s the best time to catch him, though!” Patton said. “And it’ll only be one early morning!”

Roman and Virgil made identical sounds of disinterest.

“I’ll bring cookies! And hot cocoa!”

Roman and Virgil made identical sounds of interest.

Patton turned to Logan. “You’ll come too, right?”

“Patton, you know I am always an early riser so that I can fit in extra studying-”

“That’s a lie, he just likes to bird watch and coo over the sunrise and the planets you can still see.” Virgil interrupted.

“-so as much as I would like to come with you three-”

“I’ll make you my _Patton-ed_ coffee!” Patton interrupted Logan again, this time actually stopping his stream of thought.

“...I suppose my studies will not be too gravely impacted if I join you three on your morning excursion.”

Virgil scoffed. “Logan, you’re such a pushover.”

“On the contrary, I am extremely hard to push over.” Logan said.

“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.” Virgil said, lying down his cello to cross his arms.

“I dare you to try and push me over.” Logan said as way of response.

Virgil glanced over at Roman and Patton. Roman gestured between him and Logan. “Well, you heard the nerd. Push him!”

Virgil sighed and got up, very lightly pushing his index finger into Logan’s chest. Logan immediately began to fall backwards. Panicking, Virgil managed to catch him before he hit the ground, seeing as Logan himself made no effort to stop the fall.

“I’d say I stand corrected… but I’m not standing.”

“You’re a dork.” Virgil responded. “And you’re punning.”

“Forgive me, Vee, but they got to me.” Logan said, somehow maintaining a neutral expression despite the clear amusement in his eyes. “However, I was not going to sit in your lap.”

“Our relationship would have ended the minute you did.” Virgil said, sounding annoyed while also smiling. “I also would have assumed someone had drugged you.”

“You understand me.”

“Eww, get a room you two.” Roman complained from where he sat in Patton’s lap and hugging him.

Virgil glared at Roman before pulling Logan up and kissing him.

“Gaaaaaaay.” Roman said before turning to Patton. “I’m jealous. Kiss me?”

Roman didn’t have to ask twice.

“Hey, boys, the oven’s a lost cause so I was going to ord-” Thomas stopped when he got to the doorway, finding both sets of boyfriends kissing. He wisely backpedaled without another word.

~~

“Patton, one day, you will tell me your secrets.” Logan muttered, sipping his ‘Patton-ed’ coffee.

Patton giggled but didn’t answer. The only difference between normal coffee and his coffee was a dash of cinnamon, just faint enough that Logan couldn’t actually figure out what the extra flavor was. It was simple, but Patton was going to hold on to it, if only since it was his greatest incentive to use against Logan.

Virgil was munching on the cookies that had brought him from his bed at what he considered an unholy hour, a few dozen more stuffed in his hoodie pocket. Roman was somehow both yawning and drinking cocoa at the same time, trying fruitlessly to fix his bedhead.

“This last band member better be good.” Virgil mumbled through a mouth full of cookie. “As good as these cookies.”

“Impossible.” Roman said, shaking the cup he had dropped a whole cookie into before drinking it. “No one is as good as these cookies, outside of their maker and their god.”

Logan adjusted his glasses. “I didn’t know it was possible for Roman to sound even more nonsensical.”

“Never watch a Disney marathon with him.” Virgil whispered to Logan. “He will not sleep, and if he has his way, neither will you.”

“Come on guys, the final band mate’s just around this corner!” Patton told them, tugging on Roman’s sleeve as they walked alongside the school.

“Do you mean that figuratively, as in he’s close, or…” Virgil trailed off as they turned the corner and almost ran into a kid leaning on the side of the building. They raised an eyebrow at the group and popped their gum.

“Can I help you, sweeties?” They asked lazily before sipping their Starbucks, seemingly not caring that they also had gum in their mouth.

Patton moved to the front of the group. “Remy! How are you?”

Remy’s face broke into a smile and pushed their sunglasses on top of their head. “Ah, Pat! How are you, sunshine?”

“Great as always!” Patton answered, ignoring Roman’s slightly defensive expression at Remy calling Patton ‘sunshine.’ “Is Dee inside?”

Remy flicked their thumb back at the window. “Yep. I’m on lookout for teachers, but feel free to slip in if you need to talk to him.” Remy glared at the other three. “Assuming you’re not gonna rat on him.”

Patton patted Remy’s arm. “It’s fine! We just have an offer for him.” Patton glanced up at the window, a few feet off the ground. “Uh, lift?”

“Anything for you, hun.” Remy replied, placing down their coffee to help lift Patton up to the window. After climbing in, Patton peeked his head back out to tell the others to wait for him.

Remy picked their coffee back up, turning back to the boys to pop another gum bubble. “Friends of Pat?” They asked, sunglasses back down to hide their eyes.

“Friends and boyfriend.” Roman corrected. “And you?”

“No need to get so defensive, gurl, I ain’t gunning for your sugar.” Remy teased. “I’mma friend for the sake he won’t tattle if he catches me or Dee taggin’ some walls. Hell, he’s pretty handy with his own can.”

“Pat graffitis?!” Roman exclaimed.

Remy laughed. “Not my place to kiss and tell, sweetheart. ‘Specially when we haven’t even got to the kissing part.”

Before Roman could respond, Patton was sliding back out the window, hitting the ground surprisingly well. After him, another boy jumped out, a dark duffel bag over his shoulder and an array of spray paint colours on the side of his face. He nodded briefly at the group before turning to Remy. “We’ve been made yet?”

“You know I’d tell you if we had.” Remy responded, taking another sip of coffee before glancing to the side. “Like right now.”

The rest of the group glanced over, noticing a campus security officer coming towards them. Remy chugged the rest of the coffee before shoving the now-empty cup into Dee’s duffel.

“You got this?” The spray-paint-face kid asked, starting to reach into the bag.

“Yeah, y’all gurls can go.” Remy responded before charging at the officer. Dee quickly headed in the other direction, gesturing for the boys to follow him while Remy suddenly changed direction and taunted the officer into following them.

Dee lead them around the building for a bit, clearly trying to chase off the chance of being followed, before settling down inside the doorway to the annex building. He rummaged around in his bag, filled with spray paint cans, eventually pulling out a pile of gym clothes from the bottom. Gym clothes he simply spread over the paint cans before re-zipping the duffel.

“So, Padre, what can I do you for?” Dee asked, slipping his paint-covered gloves into a side pocket on the duffel. “Normally when you visit during my work it’s alone and bored.”

Patton giggled while the rest of the group exchanged fast glances that mostly conveyed _Patton, breaking the law?_ “I wanted to know if you’d be in our band for the school’s talent show!”

Dee chuckled. “What, you want me to give your show some colour?”

“No.” Patton responded. “I want you to play in it, duh!”

“You know the only instrument I play is stiff teachers with sticks up their asses.” Dee responded.

“Language!” All four voices chorused at once, all of them (other than Patton) at one point having been subjected to the chiding.

Dee rolled his eyes. “Up his butt, then.”

“And I know you play harp, Dee! Why else would I want you to play?”  
Dee stiffened slightly. “How’d you know about-”   
“Remy told me.” Patton responded, still smiling. “Said they’d trade me knowledge for a cookie!”

Dee grumbled under his breath. “Betrayal.” He added, louder and pretending not to care that his secret had been spilt, “Why’d you want me to play in it anyways?”

“‘Cause it’s our last year, and Remy says you’re really good, and I think it would be fun!” Patton listed off, quickly sneaking a cookie out of Virgil’s pocket. “And I can offer you a cookie!”

Dee raised an eyebrow before grabbing the cookie and eating it in almost one bite. “I’d sell my soul for a cookie. Fine, I’ll do the band with you.”

Virgil pulled his hoodie closer to him, clearly worried another one of his cookies would be made sacrifice to the grafittier. “Welcome to the band. Currently we’re doing this either for love, puppy dog eyes, or cookies.”

“And fun!” Patton added.

Dee nodded, looking around as he did so. “Cool. When do we meet?”

“After school, my place.” Roman answered, the group having already discussed this on their tired walk to the school. “You can walk with me and Pat at the end of the day.”

Dee nodded again. “Works for me. Might not make it today, though.”

“Why not?” Logan inquired.

“One: Instrument’s at home. Two: I think I’m going to be in detention again.” Dee answered.

“Detention again?” Virgil repeated.

Dee threw his duffel over his shoulder again, quickly getting to his feet. “You guys will probably be fine, but running never hurt no one.” He said, grabbing Pat’s hand. “And uh, whichever one of you’s Pat’s boyfriend, hope you don’t mind if I ensure your boyfriend doesn’t get caught. Not that I don’t trust you to escape, but I don’t.” Dee added.

Roman was about to protest, but he was cut off by the shout of two security officers as they started to charge at the group. Dee disappeared into the building, Patton in tow as the latter quickly waved goodbye to the group.

Roman sighed, turning to talk to Virgil and Logan, only to notice they were running too. “Where are you two going?!”

“Broke into the science lab two nights ago!” Virgil called out as they themselves hurried around the building. “Accidentally blew some stuff up!”

Roman let out another sigh as the security team split up, one following Dee and Patton, one following Logan and Virgil. One of them yelled at him to stay put, but he was already on his feet and heading for choir class the minute they were gone.

Remy raced by him as he went, still taunting the security guard on their tail. Roman muttered to himself, “When did I become the tamest member of the group?”

~~

Dee, in fact, didn’t make the first band meeting. The second band meeting could barely even be considered a meeting, since it was mostly figuring out which song to play. That, and Roman trying to figure out why Dee had showed up with paint still on his face.

“Don’t you know how to use a wet wipe?” He asked, raising an eyebrow when Dee had come in to the music room dragging a huge black bag that stood upright behind him, the left side of his face now covered in a swirl of fiery colours. “Or even just not get paint on your face?”

“It’s a statement.” Dee responded before grinning slyly. “Or a challenge. Whichever way the campus security want to take it. A reminder that regardless of how clearly guilty I am, they’ll never collar me for graffitiing.”

“You had detention yesterday, though.” Logan pointed out. “Have they not caught you?”

Dee smirked. “That was for calling the bio teacher a twat after he insulted snakes. Campus police did catch me, but by the time they had, both Patton and my duffel bag had mysteriously gotten lost.”

“Speaking of troublemaking and Patton…” Roman started, turning towards his formerly angelic boyfriend.

Patton just broke out in a smile and redirected the conversation. “Come on guys, I think this song will work.”

Roman noted the sidetracking but ignored it for the time being, saying instead, “I don’t know, Pat. It’s kinda crazy.”

“Well, it’s already got the piano and drum parts!” Patton pointed out. “And the guitar pieces can be replaced easily enough with ukulele, cello, and harp. They’re all string instruments after all!”

“Sure, in theory.” Virgil said, glancing at his cello. “But they play different tones and pitches.”

“We can make it work.” Patton assured him.

Dee frowned. “Instrumental music aside, will we have to sing? Because I can’t sing.”

“Sure you can!” Patton said. “I’m sure you all have beautiful voices!”

“While that’s definitely true for me, and while I will definitely sing, I don’t think the others are as inclined, _mi querido._ ”

Patton smiled brighter. “I thought that might be a problem!” He said happily, moving to his backpack and shuffling through it before pulling out a tray filled with brownies.

“So you brought bribes?” Logan said, watching as Patton opened the tray and placed the brownies on top of the piano.

“No! Just a treat!” Patton responded. “And the reminder I would love it if you’d all sing this!”

Virgil snatched two brownies, passing one to Logan. “Take the bribe.”

“This is unethical.”

“No, this is yummy.” Virgil replied, already halfway through his brownie. “I can fake my way through one song if it means I can eat this.”

Logan rolled his eyes but took a bite out of his own brownie. “I, too, accept the bride.”

Dee pulled the entire tray to himself. “Me three.”

“Hey!” Roman protested, trying to make a grab for the tray. “I want one!”

“You’ve already agreed to do it.” Dee shot back, holding the tray closer to himself. “This bribe is for me.”

“Then I shall steal it from you!” Roman challenged, getting up from where he had been idling on the seat with his drum set. Dee hissed in response and ran from the room, tray clutched in his hands. Roman immediately took up chase.

Thomas appeared in the doorway a minute later, looking concerned.

“Is there a reason my son and the kid who needs to wash his face are having a shout-and-chase match in the backyard, or…?”

“Patton introduced a new, but severely limited, resource to the environment.” Logan answered. “The two males are neither able to produce the resource nor be content with a single portion of it, and now will attempt to fight each other for it.”

Thomas blinked before turning to Virgil. “Translate your boyfriend.”

“Patton brought brownies and they’re fighting because they don’t know how to share.”

Thomas’s eyes widened. “Brownies? Uh… I have to go… break up the fight. Perhaps by confiscating the resource.”

Virgil chuckled as his Dad all but ran towards the backyard. “I’mma going to call it and say that that’s it for today’s band sess. Pat, Roman can get your tray back to you tomorrow. I doubt it’ll be free for another few hours.”

Patton nodded. “We are agreed on the song, right?”

Virgil tilted his head before agreeing, “Yeah, I think so. Your brownie bribery has won us all over.”

Patton clapped his hands. “Yay!”

Logan grabbed his minimalist black backpack, starting to head for the door. “I will be heading home now to do some studying. If you are still available, Virgil, I will be over after six to practice more for our recital.”

“You know you can just study over here.” Virgil replied, glancing at the grand piano in the room. It was technically Logan’s, owned by his family, but the fact that Logan and Virgil practiced together so much (and that Thomas actually had a soundproofed room in his house) convinced the Berries it would be easier to leave it at Thomas’s. Logan had a keyboard at home, but he disliked it immensely for not being the real thing. “Less travel, anyways.”

Logan hesitated. “I’d hate to put your Father out for dinner-”

Virgil waved the concern away. “He’s happy to have you. Plus, if you stay, you can eat popcorn with me and watch the brownie fight go down.”

“Regardless of where I go, Virgil, I still have to study.”

“Eat popcorn and study outside while a brownie fight happens to be occurring, then.” Virgil amended, heading towards the kitchen. “You can stay, too, Pat, if you want to see your boyfriend’s precious little dignity fly out the window.”

“I think you mean it’ll take a _dign-leap_ out the window!” Patton joked in response.

“However you wanna spin it.” Virgil called back from down the hallway. “Come on, I think Dad’s just introduced the hose into the equation! Popcorn’s gonna have to wait!”

“This is childish.” Logan stated as Patton grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the backyard.

“Yep!” Patton responded. “Now come on! Water fight!”

Logan sighed, but he dropped his backpack and allowed himself to be lead (read: pulled) to the brownie war.

~~

“We’re doomed. Utterly doomed. Screwed over, going to fail, probably be disowned by our families. Why did I agree to this?”

Logan continued to slowly run his fingers through Virgil’s usually ponytailed hair. “For brownies and cookies, remember?” He responded.

Virgil huffed. “Past me is a fool.”

“Like current you wouldn’t do it again.”

“I hate that you’re right.” Virgil groaned, leaning his head backwards and pushing it more into Logan’s chest. The two of them were leaning against the wall backstage, waiting for their group’s turn to go up while the other acts bustled around them.

The cello and piano were sat next to each other to the side, the cello being Virgil’s personal one while the piano was just the school’s. Logan had wanted to use his own, but the amount of effort it would have taken to get it to the school for one show was deemed to excessive to be worth it.

“Where do you think the others are?” Virgil asked after a moment.

“Coming late because they’re fools.” Logan replied, eliciting a smile from Virgil.

“What does that make us, since we arrive half an hour early?”

“Stressed but smart.”

They fell back into silence until a disturbance in the flow around them gained their attention. Looking up, they found their missing bandmates pushing their way through the crowd. Patton had his ukulele over his back, while Dee’s harp and Roman’s drums were also waiting with the piano and cello.

“And where have you been?” Virgil asked, standing up with Logan.

“Got lost on the way.” Roman answered.

“As in a teacher whose class I’ve missed for a few consecutive weeks spotted us on campus and didn’t realize we had perfectly valid reasons for being here.” Dee added. “And we had to lose him.”

“It can’t help that your face is still a mess.” Logan added, noting the blurred rainbow of colours that was today’s spray paint on Dee’s face. “You’re going on stage in that?”

“Only place I don’t go with this is to sleep.” Dee responded. “You guys ready?”

“Nope!” Virgil replied with false cheeriness. “But I’ve been promised a milkshake afterwards so I’ll push through. Or I’ll die halfway through the performance. Both are acceptable outcomes.”

“Bold of you to assume I’ll even allow you to die and ruin my Patton’s talent show.” Roman said, throwing an arm over Patton’s shoulders and pulling him closer.

“It’s _our_ talent show, Ro!” Patton amended for him, gesturing at the entire group.

“Yeah, but it’s mostly yours.” Roman said. The group nodded in agreement.

Patton grinned. “Aw, shucks guys!” He looked ready to go into a full speech about the power of teamwork or something equally cheesy and endearing, when the lights past the curtain dimmed and the drama club leader stepped out to explain everything that was happening.

Via special request (Virgil’s insistence that if he had to wait through even one other act he would die of nerves before he got on stage) and an in with the drama club teacher (Mr. Picani was also Dr. Picani, psych teacher, a class Logan just happened to be a top student in), their band was going first.

Virgil gave Logan’s hand a final squeeze as they moved to their instruments, Virgil hefting his up while the others (excluding Patton) started to push their’s on stage, just as Mr. Picani announced them and walked off.

In the darkness of the dimmed lights, Virgil sat down on the stool he had dragged out with his cello and did some quick tuning. Patton did his own tuning after pulling the ukulele off his back. Logan straightened his music sheets. Roman resisted the urge to hit the cymbals. Dee ran his hand over the smooth surface of his harp, designed so that the frame was designed to look like intertwining snakes.

The lights came back on, and without further ado, they started singing _Bohemian Rhapsody._

It was, after a lot of consideration, the only song they could play. It was crazy enough that all their instruments, despite the odd collection they had, could find a way to play it semi-normally. Not to mention, if they were going to sing, it had to be something they all wanted to sing. Something stupid and goofy that they could just zone out and pretend hundreds of strangers weren’t watching them sing.

The sight had to be crazy for the audience, they all mentally decided. On the furthest left was Dee, fingers just barely plucking each string yet playing as smoothly as he talked his way out of punishment after punishment (even if not every punishment).

Roman was beside him, blaringly red drums a glaring contrast to the smooth gold of the harp. He played them with as much energy as he lived, punctuating the comparison every time he slammed the cymbals out of turn.

Then there was Virgil, pulling his bow as violently along his cello as Roman hit his drums, and yet every sound the cello made sounded perfected in a booming sort of way. Right after him was Logan, fingers flying across the keys for every crazed note, somehow managing to get them all with ease.

To end the line was Patton, wide smile on his face as he leaned on the piano and strummed his ukulele. It was somehow just as cheery sounding as he was.

It was, in most senses of the word, a trainwreck. But it was a fun trainwreck, and that’s all they cared about.

Well, that’s all that Patton cared about. Most of the others had ulterior motives.

The lights dimmed once more almost immediately when they finished, applause spilling from the audience as they quickly wheeled and carried their instruments back off-stage for the next act. The minute they had everything settled, Patton managed to pull all four of them into a hug.

“That was amazing, guys!” Patton exclaimed as loudly as he could in the quiet shuffling of the backstage area.

“No, _mi rayo de sol_ , you were amazing!” Roman matched, earning himself a plethora of ‘shhhh’s from around him.

“Well, then you were magnificent.” Patton replied, voice properly lowered.

“I was no better than you were.”

Logan rubbed his brow and waved a hand. “We get it. You two are insufferably in love with each other. You can stop now.”

Roman rolled his eyes but didn’t respond as Patton said, “Well, you were amazing yourself, Logan!” He turned towards Dee and Virgil. “And you two! You played your instruments as beautifully as you are!”

“Uh huh.” Virgil mumbled. “Do I get my milkshake yet?”

“Soon as the show’s over and we make it to Denny’s!” Patton answered.

“Why wait for the show to end?” Dee asked, eyes glinting in what little light there was backstage. “I already told Picani we might have to leave early. He’ll make sure our stuff’s safe, tell us the standings tomorrow. Not that we’re exactly going to win anything, but still.”

Virgil nodded. “Let’s do that. I want my milkshake.”

Patton glanced around the group. “As long as everyone’s okay with it.” Everyone seemed to be, so Patton turned to Dee, who guided them to a side door. Pulling it open, Dee lead them out of the backstage and into the dark and warm night.

Once they were all out, Remy appeared out of the shadows, duffel bag dragging at their side and another coffee in hand, chewing gum replaced with dark lipstick that suggested they didn’t want to get caught. The pink skirt they were wearing directly clashed with this idea, however.

“Heya gurls.” They said with a lazy smile. “How’d it go?”

“No one died mid-performance, which also works to the fact no one had to get murdered.” Dee replied. “So, all and all, pretty good.”

“Fabolous!” Remy responded, shaking the duffel. “Now wanna have some real fun?”

“Always.” Dee said, accepting the bright yellow gloves Remy offered him. He turned to the others. “You in? We can hit Denny’s after.”

Patton smiled. “Sure!”

The rest of the group watched as Patton accepted the bright blue gloves Remy also had available for him.

“You have your own gloves?” Roman asked.

Patton’s smile just grew and he tapped the side of his nose. “There’s a lot of things you don’t _nose_ about me, Ro!”

“But you could find out.” Remy tempted, pulling out a bundle of other brightly coloured gloves from their bag. “Rule of thumb is something on you’s gotta stand out, since stealth crimes are no fun, but if you can deal with that I promise it’ll be a blast, sweethearts.”

Roman, Virgil, and Logan glanced between each other before Roman shrugged and took the red pair.

“Be gay, do crime.” He muttered, pulling Patton back into a hug. “And I’m already incredibly gay.”

After a moment, Virgl sighed and took the purple and white glove pairs, passing the white ones to Logan. Logan raised an eyebrow.

“We already blew something up.” Virgil answered. “Besides, I wanna get my milkshake, and who knows how long these three will be out if I’m not nagging them.”

“You won’t be nagging for long.” Remy said with a grin. “Trust me, this shit is addicting.”

“Language!”

Remy rolled their eyes. “Pat, you’re too much fun to be this uptight about cussing.”

Patton leveled Remy with a disappointed Dad stare.

“Fine! This crap is addicting.”

Patton smiled while Logan tugged his own gloves on. “I have been rather displeased with the appearance of multiple government buildings throughout the town. Such lifeless institutions considering the rather scandalous goings on within them.”

Virgil grinned. “Ah, wicked! Rebellion! Fuck the government!”

Patton frowned and side eyed Virgil before breaking out in a mischievous smile.

“Yeah.” He said, snatching a paint can from the duffel and flipping it with practiced ease in his hand. “Fuck the government.”

The shocked stares from Roman, Virgil, and Logan were mixed with laughter from Remy and Dee.

“Ah, yeah!” Remy said, high-fiving Dee and pulling out their own paint can. “Impish Pat! Let’s fucking go!”

Recovering from the shock, the others each grabbed a paint can at random. With a brief discussion, they shook them and sprayed something right there on the wall of the school. Shouts and flashlights being turned on them elicited laughter from the entire group as they turned and sped off.

Within seconds, despite their bright gloves, they were gone into the shadows, leaving behind no indication of who they were aside from their graffiti.

_SENIOR YEAR_

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr: https://sleepless-in-starbucks.tumblr.com/


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